Patterned

“Hold fast the form of sound words [pattern] which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 1:13)

A proficient seamstress can take measurements, transfer them to paper, making a pattern. The pieces are put on the fabric, cut out, and sewn together, creating an original design. Many seamstresses, however, depend on pre-printed patterns working towards a finished design created by another person. An essential fact about clothing patterns is the importance of the guidelines. Following the instruction sheet provided with each package is highly beneficial to achieving the desired outcome.

Long before God came to earth as a baby wrapped in human flesh, He chose to speak through prophets to guide, warn, and instruct people. Before entering the Land of Promise, God proclaimed through His prophet Moses who led the Hebrews out of Egypt’s slavery, that they had a choice. The pattern and instructions to follow were clear:

Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse. A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God . . . And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God . . ." (Deuteronomy 11:26–28).

God ordained Jesus, the Word made flesh, to be our Savior and example to follow. He chose, taught, and trained specific men, entrusting the Word to them to teach others. Paul encourages young Timothy to stand fast in his faith and sound teaching of the pattern laid before him, truths he learned first from his grandmother, mother, and now from him.

God entrusts the same Word to us. The same choice is set before us to obey God and live blessed or reject His commands, follow the gods of this world, and suffer the consequences of disobedience. How are you patterned? Are you following Moses, Jesus, Paul, and Timothy— following the guidelines of God? If our Father used your life’s pattern to create a “garment” for someone, would it be wearable? Are you a pattern of Jesus that others should follow?